"Good Medicine"

I honestly can not believe how quickly children grow up. I find that I took quite a long time to mature and get my head right. I remember my thoughts and beliefs as a teenager, a young adult, a new mama and now I am "mame." I do not really know how I feel about all this growing and going. As Simba said, "Change is hard." I don't like change but I would hate for things to stay the same. I don't want to grow old, yet I anticipate a future of wisdom, enjoyment, slowing down and not being so concerned about looks. I thought when I was younger that I would enjoy being a grey haired granny swinging on the porch with my grandkids. I would not concern myself with the outside but I would concentrate on relationships. Well, it was a nice theory but I see a few things slipping that I fear are not as pleasant as I had hoped. Kids get less dependent and I always dreamed of them being self sufficient. I actually get a little blue when the older kids are okay without my in

Suicidal ideation is nothing new under the sun. King David himself in all his splendor said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest." We all want to be at peace in our own bodies. Everyone with skin on can relate to flying high as a free bird away from troubles. The bad stuff in life does not skip anyone. The bottom line is, we either face them with courage or we live a life of hot pursuit of not. Not handling our issues, running from pain, and anesthetizing ourselves are time - tested ways to deal with problems. Popular, albeit dodging issues is ineffective and more problems are incurred from escape. They come in the form of drugs, alcohol, manipulation, delusions, excess, and impulsively. A real answer is actually taking the band-aid off and looking at our sources of pain. Indians, indigenous people from America, North America and Mexico believed that people have soul wounds and in order to be healthy, good medicine needed to heal them. As a

At 42 years old, I have gleaned a few things though my life’s journey. Simple though they may be, they are my strengths. One is to always stand up straight and tall! The power stance says it all. If I walk in with my head down, and I am not aware of my environment, it says I am not able the face the world. My mom always said, “Stand up straight!” I am such a hard head that, yes after her death I am finally listening, and she will be gloriously glowing to know I do! My mother -in - law always taught her children to be aware of their environment, which says I am not a victim, I know what’s going on! Besides my stature, I take care of my skin and have since I was a teen. My face is my billboard, but behind the eyes (saturated in a good eye cream) is my soul. I care for my soul over my body. If my soul is at rest then I can fully function and do what I need to do every day. If I am not clear then I cannot be on target daily. Being on task daily may not mean getting the to do list ove

There are many things that are a mystery but I do know, that children give to our lives, they are not takers. I believe I have met some of the most beautiful angels right here on planet earth, and I believe I meet more daily. I know that music heals, scents can clear and give peace, and colors bring joy and protection. I know that our lives can enjoy rest for our souls and that peace can abide. Tumult can end when we are sure, and giving these keys to others is a joy. I know animals are guides, grandmas are queens, and grandpas are warriors. Neighbors are blessings, and friends are rare jewels and a kindred spirit is who you have your pow-wow coffee with. Sisters are the ones who know your story and can vouch for your cause, even if it is shopping and laughter. Singing with the saints in the sanctuary is eternal. Flowers evoke passion, charm is deceitful, beauty is vain, hand shakes are integral and so is a name. Advocacy for the voiceless is needed and a lot more courage too! I kno

Why do birds suddenly appear? Once I heard a bird’s song, like I’d never heard before. I followed the sound to a baby bird alone in a bush. It was a white cockatiel. It was loudly calling for help, so I approached it and put my hand out to see if it would let me help him. He jumped right on to my hand and up to my shoulder where he rested. He was happy and so was I. At the time I found that baby bird, I had just lost my mom to cancer and I had a 1 month old, and was totaling 3 children. It was too much for me to consider keeping the baby bird knowing that those birds live for 30 or more years. I found the baby a good home, but always wondered what the message was that he brought. I like to think it was God’s way of letting me know my mom was also safe at home. I also believe that the message of a white bird always signifies peace, the Holy Spirit and of course when I see a white feather, I believe with all my heart that angels are around. I also fully believe that God loves to send m

As I was people watching in the mall the other day, I noticed most times in passing - no one would look up for eye contact…eyes were on the floor. Where are the smiles? I was baffled. I was in public and yet there was none present. My theory is that folks are so devoted to gadgets that they miss authentic life as it is happening. It is awkward to unplug and be retrospect, isn’t it? A sad day is being in a waiting room that everyone’s face is down in a phone rather than speaking to one another. We are not truly BE-ing. The only way we catch names anymore is on Starbucks beverages. That is if we are listening, observing, or if we care. All this available connect we have to everything else is causing disconnect in the human touch. Families are not in unity. We are not having conversations. There is less real interaction. What is happening? Escape? Escape from the real world into self. I feel myself slipping into this dross when I choose to ignore passers by or think of others as a bother

Dear Victoria - I’ve got a secret, I recently received a lovely gift certificate for Victoria’s Secret. Retail therapy works for me. What woman does not want to feel beautiful? One assumes that your stores’ intention is to make skivvies more than a necessity, but a delight. I enjoy soft, silky materials. Colors appeal to my senses and make me happier than the classic standard of beige and white undies. So I do appreciate the duty you have of helping women put on their sexy pants while putting a little va-voom in relationships. However, I was taken aback the moment I discovered that you don’t have extra large. Large, according to your sales clerk was sizes 12-14, and it was, “sure to fit me.” I sashayed around noticing that most of the larges were quickly taken up and what was left were extra small, small and medium. I dared to wonder “who is an extra small, these garments are for grown folks, right?” Here’s my secret, Victoria. The average size of a woman is 14. Now, this is not a n